Work Text:
“Fire up the forge.”
Abolish looks up from the sketch he’s working on as Scott lands beside him, raising his eyebrows warily. “Good evening to you too, Scott,” he says dryly. “I thought you wanted to finish it tomorrow.”
“No,” Scott denies quickly. “We’re finishing it right now.”
His eyebrows draw together. “Sure… and why, exactly, should we finish it right now?”
Scott digs his fingernails into the soft flesh of his palms to stop his hands from shaking as much. “Neither of us are going to sleep any time soon anymore, why not?” he challenges.
It’s been obvious that Scott doesn’t sleep much, and it’s just as blatant that Abolish doesn’t either, they just don’t talk about it. Scott just— he needs them to continue to not talk about it, he needs to do something other than failing to sleep, anything other than to think.
“Right.” Abolish sounds skeptical, but to Scott’s relief, he pushes away from the table and walks over to the forge anyway. “And you’re sure that you’re not gonna blow it up this time?”
That was one time! Scott maintains that the design was faulty anyway, not poorly designed, but Abolish hadn’t known the hammer wouldn’t be able to conduct the full force of the windcharges at that small a scale. No one knows just how destructive the winds can be until you’ve come face to face with them— not even Scott had known.
Modifications were made, Scott had learned more control, and the development has been just fine since!
“You’ll be there to make sure I won’t,” Scott says, voice a bit tight, crossing his arms over his chest. “Or what, if you don’t want to do it right now, I can always leave too.”
He’d rather not, he really really doesn’t want to leave when the wind is rushing in his ears and his heart is still pounding in his chest. Abolish is good at distracting him from that, but Scott knows that if Abolish isn’t in the mood, things will go south very quickly and Scott— he can’t— right now, he doesn’t think he can deal with that on top of everything else…
Abolish huffs, leaning his hip against the forge’s brick wall. “You could, ooor you could tell me what got you in a mood.”
“I’m not in a mood,” he replies moodily. Abolish gives him a look. Scott averts his gaze, pouting. “Fine. I am in a mood, are you happy now?”
He hums in acknowledgement. “And why are you in a mood?”
Scott shakes his head quickly, keeping his mouth firmly shut. He doesn’t— he doesn’t want to talk about it, or think about it, or feel about it. Scott came to Abolish to blow off the restless, angry energy still in his veins, not to be vulnerable! Not like that, anyway, if Scott wanted to expose himself, there are more fun ways to do it.
When Scott doesn’t reply, Abolish sighs, but he doesn’t actually say anything about it.
The relief at not being pressed for an answer only lasts for a few moments, then Scott looks back up to meet Abolish’s gaze, and instead he finds that intense, pretty yellow eyes are watching him expectantly.
He caves instantly.
“You were right about Nikos,” Scott blurts out, then grimaces, then very quickly forces that to turn into a smile. “Stupid, isn’t it? I guess we didn’t really see eye to eye on things in the end.”
“Wow…. What a surprise.”
Scott ignores the sarcasm and shakes his head. “Can you fire it up now…” He hesitates, reluctant to plead, but at this point, Scott feels like he’d do anything to stop thinking about Nikos. “Please?” Scott adds in a soft mumble.
Abolish’s heavy gaze stays on him, assessing him, and Scott has to stop himself from squirming under the scrutiny. “Alright,” Abolish says eventually. “We can do that.”
Some of the tension drains from his shoulder. “Thank you,” he says, quiet but genuine.
-
Exhaustion weighs him down as he drops down on the bench. His leg is heavy as he pulls it to his chest and wraps his arms around it, but it’s worth it when Scott can rest his chin on his knee like this.
For a brief moment he closes his eyes, breathing in the hot, smokey air, simply listening to Abolish shuffle around as he finishes up the last of the cleanup he never allows Scott to help with. Then he opens them again, and Scott peeks through his eyelashes to lazily watch Abolish move around. His skin is gleaming with sweat, curly hair is stuck to his forehead, his cheeks are still flushed with heat, and there’s a smudge of soot on his chin. Abolish’s eyes glow in the light of the fire, and Scott can’t draw his gaze away from him; he feels mesmerized.
It truly is a lovely sight.
Once the work is done, Abolish wipes a cloth over his face, tosses it, and then walks over and sits down right next to him. Nothing is said, nor needs to be said, not when the work is done. This hammer will be the one, Scott is sure of it, and he knows Abolish quietly agrees with him, all they have to do is wait for it to cool down.
Tomorrow, that’s when they’ll see the final result.
Scott could go home now and return later, the agitated energy that was pulsing angrily in his veins is gone, and he is tired to his core, but he finds that he still doesn’t want to go to sleep. Only nightmares will join him in his bed, not pretty men, so staying to bask in the heat of the fire is an easy choice to make.
After a while, Scott starts to softly hum to himself. He doesn’t think Abolish would mind, and for a long while, nothing is said.
“Is that from one of the plays you used to perform in?” Abolish finally asks, breaking the comfortable silence after what feels like ages.
Scott nods, smiling faintly. “Yeah,” he replies, pressing the back of his hand against his mouth to suppress a yawn. “It was a real hit with the crowd! If you want, I could sing the real thing for you; a private show, if you will.”
Abolish snorts. “Maybe another time, it’s rather late for that now.”
“Suit yourself, not many have the pleasure to get me all to themselves,” Scott jokes, then lets out a thoughtful hum. “You know, maybe I could put up a real show here, a performance by yours truly would definitely help ease some of the tensions between everyone!”
It could be fun, and if nothing else, it would be a great distraction.
“Scott…” Abolish starts, and Scott already knows what’s coming next. “You can’t possibly think that’s going to work,” he says flatly.
Yes, yes, they’re in a game to the death that will end with a single victor, he’s quite aware, thank you very much.
“Not really, no, not with these people, but that’ll just be part of the entertainment.” He chokes his head to the side, leaning his cheek on his knee so he can send Abolish a dazzling smile. “C’mon, it could be fun.”
“It could get you stabbed again,” Abolish replies flatly.
His smile falters. “Right… I mean, you’re not exactly wrong, but that could happen to me any time. Life's gonna get boring real quick if I don’t do things ‘cause I’m afraid to get hurt.”
Though maybe he should skip this performance anyway, Scott doesn’t actually want a repeat of past events. Repetition is good to some degree in improv, but the gods surely won’t be entertained by a replicated performance. Unless they appreciate the tragedy of it all, but Scott would rather not be the main actor in that play.
Abolish watches him curiously, a question in those yellow eyes that makes Scott wonder what he’s thinking. Abolish doesn’t leave him waiting for an answer for long. “You know, you’re surprisingly detached for someone so trusting.”
Scott’s eyebrows draw together in confusion. Uhm, what? “I’m… not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean?”
“You’re willing to risk your life for, what, entertainment? To make friends?” Abolish tilts his head thoughtfully. “But it’s kinda interesting that you’re not willing to show your true face to them either.”
That’s not… Scott drops his leg off the bench and sits up straight, then looks at Abolish with wide eyes. “You think I’m lying to them?”
“Lying?” Abolish lets out a surprised laugh, his grin sharp. “Not at all, I just think you’re playing a role. I mean, like, that’s what you’re doing right now.”
It’s far too late to be having a conversation like this, and yet somehow they ended up here anyway. How does this always happen to them? “You… think I’m playing a role?”
Abolish rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t look annoyed, if anything, Abolish looks amused. “You really don’t need to play dumb, Scott, at least not with me. I know what you’re doing.”
He falls silent.
What is he supposed to say to that? Abolish is an entertainer, he’s observant, and when he does look at Scott, it has always felt like he sees more than anyone else, maybe more than he should see. Knowing that doesn’t make this any easier, though, but Abolish is still expecting an answer— an honest answer.
Scott’s not sure he has one.
“...So what are you expecting me to do?” he asks quietly.
Abolish lets out a huff. “I don’t care what you do, Scott, I’m just telling you that you don’t have to play a role with me— If anything, it’s been entertaining when you slip up.”
A flush warms his face, and Scott averts his gaze. “I—” he cuts himself off. For a moment, Scott struggles to find the right words, or rather, he struggles to say them out loud, but this is Abolish, and that does make it easier. “I don’t know how to not play a role,” Scott finally mumbles.
“You just have to be yourself,” Abolish replies with a shrug, like it’s easy; Scott highly doubts it is for either of them.
But… that doesn’t mean he can’t try. At least when it’s just the two of them— When it’s just Abolish.
“What if people don’t like it when I am… myself?”
When Abolish scoffs, Scott glances back over at him. Yellow eyes are already watching him with fierce intensity. “Then those people don’t matter,” he says firmly, shifting around so he’s facing him in full, and Scott’s breath catches in his throat when he realises how close they are. “Anyone who doesn’t like you the way you are is not worth your time.”
That is…
Oh.
Scott swallows dryly. His heart feels loud in his chest, and with Abolish looking at him like that, he so badly wants to lean in, to do something that he knows he’ll regret, but then there’s a whisper of wind in his ear, and Scott quickly turns his face ahead to look at the fire.
“I— I don’t… I want people to like me, Abolish,” Scott confesses quietly. He wants to be loved, to be admired, to be seen and heard. He wants to not be alone.
There’s a purse to Abolish’s lips. “You want everyone to like you?” It sounds like a question, but it feels more like a statement.
Scott nods tiredly, even though they both know the answer already. “It… makes me feel less lonely, I suppose.”
“Let me guess, that’s why you’re trying to make so many friends here, even though you know what’s going to happen,” Abolish questions.
Out of habit, Scott smiles, and almost just as fast, he drops it again. “I had a lot of friends, always, no one I was ever truly close to, but close enough that I wasn’t alone. I mean, people come and go all the time, Abolish, you should know this. And when I was alive, they were drawn in by my looks, by my fame, and they left as soon as they got their fill of me, so I told myself that I might as well enjoy it while it lasts— It’s really no different now, I still want the same things as before, we just… know when the deadline is.”
Truthfully, he doesn’t know why he tells Abolish this. He’s a pretty face, sure, and Scott’s had a bit too much of Dionysus’ wine make him spill far too much in the past, but this is something else entirely. Maybe it’s because Abolish can be a callous bastard if he feels like it, or maybe it’s because he doesn’t care what Scott says or does, Scott just… doesn’t know.
He minds it far less than he perhaps should.
“It’s lonely at the top,” Abolish points out, more honest than he expected.
Scott chuckles without humour, and he lets his shoulders droop down. “I guess we both know that.”
Abolish’s eyes flit over his face, searching for something that Scott doesn’t feel like trying to figure out. “Yep, I guess we do,” he agrees. Abolish lets the silence linger between them for a few moments, then leans back on his hands. “You should really go and get some sleep, Scott.”
“Won’t be able to,” Scott replies with a small shake of his head.
He sighs. “You should try anyway.”
Scott scrunches his face up in distaste. “But I don’t want to,” he replies with a childish whine.
In the corner of his eye he can see Abolish look up at the sky in exasperation. “Why does he have to be so damn stubborn,” he mutters to himself, but before Scott can open his mouth to give him a cheeky retort, Abolish’s hand grabs his shoulder and pulls him down. “Close your eyes.”
A confusion noise leaves his lips as his head hits Abolish’s thigh. “I— Okay?” Scott questions, voice far too high-pitched. His face feels hot.
“Go to sleep, Scott,” Abolish replies simply.
Abolish’s hand is still a warm presence on his shoulder, not holding him down, but it’s enough pressure that Scott knows not to argue. Instead, he lets a soft sigh pass his lips, accepting his fate, and shifts around until he’s comfortable. Scott doesn’t think that this will change anything, his heart and mind now racing for different reasons, but at least he can enjoy their proximity.
And yet, once he allows his eyes to fall shut, Scott finds that sleep comes to him soon enough.